Today, we welcome the last solar term of spring – Guyu, with the spring light shining brightly and the mountains and rivers turning black and blue.

The Origin of Solar Terms
Guyu “means” rain produces a hundred grains “. In the “Qun Fang Pu”, it is recorded that “Grain rains, and the grain grows from the rain.” At this time, the temperature rises faster, and the amount of rain increases significantly. The seedlings and new crops in the fields need the nourishment of rain the most, so there is a folk saying that “spring rain is as precious as oil. The arrival of the Grain Rain solar term also means that the cold wave weather has basically ended, making it the best season for sowing and transplanting seeds, as well as planting melons and beans.

Magical Legend
There is a beautiful legend about Guyu. According to legend, in ancient times, Cangjie’s creation of characters moved the Heavenly Emperor. At that time, the world was suffering from famine, so the Heavenly Emperor opened the granary of the Heavenly Palace and poured a “rain of millet”, saving the people. In order to commemorate the achievements of Cangjie, later generations designated this day as “Grain Rain”. Therefore, the “rain” of Grain Rain is not only the “timely rain” that moistens the fields, but also the “textual rain” that carries the memory of civilization.
Phenology and Customs
The ancients divided the Grain Rain into “three seasons”: the first season saw the emergence of Ping trees, the second season saw the sound of doves brushing their feathers, and the third season saw Dai Sheng descend upon the mulberry trees. At this point, the duckweed begins to grow, the cuckoo flaps its wings to remind people to sow, and the sunbird can also be seen on mulberry trees.
In folk culture, there is a custom of drinking “Guyu tea” in Guyu. Legend has it that on this day, tea leaves are used to clear fire, ward off evil, and improve eyesight, and are particularly harvested and processed in the south. At this time, it is also a good season to admire peonies. “Watching peonies three times in the valley rain”, grand peony flower festivals will also be held in Luoyang, Henan, Pengzhou, Sichuan and other places. In the north, there is a custom of “eating spring”, where fragrant and refreshing Chinese toon is used immediately, as the saying goes, “Before the rain, the Chinese toon is tender as silk”.
Grain Rain health preservation
During the Grain Rain season, the dampness gradually increases, and the key to health preservation is to strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness. In terms of diet, you can eat more yam, Job’s tears, adzuki beans, etc., and eat less raw, cold, greasy food. It is advisable to go to bed early and wake up early in daily life, take more outdoor walks, and follow the rising yang energy.
Grain rain arrives, spring is coming to an end, summer is approaching. May we grow vigorously like a hundred grains nourished by spring rain at the turn of spring and summer, and welcome the arrival of summer with hope.